According to a press release, Mary Lu Bilek has been appointed Dean of the University of Massachusetts School of Law-Dartmouth. Bilek is an Associate Dean and Professor of Law at CUNY School of Law.
“Professor Bilek brings expertise in strategic planning and innovation in legal education, and a passion for making legal education accessible,” said UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack. “She is committed to ensuring that law graduates are prepared for the profession and practice with a high degree of competence, integrity and dedication to increasing access to justice. She will lead the School’s talented faculty as they develop justice in the classroom, in the community, and through their scholarship. With strong and innovative leadership, faculty and students, UMass Law will be known for its quality legal education at an affordable price, but also for its efforts to improve the quantity and quality of delivered justice.”
“I am honored and excited to be appointed to lead the UMass School of Law,” Professor Bilek said. “This is a unique opportunity to join with an innovative and dedicated faculty, aspiring students, and a world class university to shape a new public law school in a Commonwealth with a deeply rooted commitment to justice. I am heartened by the strong support the University and the community have demonstrated to the Law School and will be devoting my efforts to insuring that the Law School becomes a leader in legal education’s renewed commitment to developing a vital relationship with the bench and bar.”
Bilek graduated from Harvard Law School and practiced law at the firm of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton and Garrison for five years before she joined CUNY Law in 1985. During the 2005-06 school year, Bilek served as the Interim Dean of the CUNY School of Law and served as the Academic Dean under the first three deans of the school. Bilek helped develop and implement curriculum for practice while helping the law school move towards full ABA and AALS accreditation.
For the ABA, Bilek serves regularly as an accreditation Site Visit Team member. In 2007, Bilek was named a Fellow of the National Institute for Teaching Ethics and Professionalism. Bilek also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Law and Economic Justice and FairTest. In 2010-11 Bilek was the chair of the ABA Section on Legal Education Diversity Committee and is also a member of the Special Committee on the Professional Education Continuum. Bilek is a member of the Society of American Law Teachers Committee on [Re]Visioning Legal Education.